Check Paralysis Status Before Choosing ICD-10-CM Code
Question: If a patient suffers from “lower paraparesis NOS,” what ICD-10-CM code should I choose for the encounter? Missouri Subscriber Answer: This is a paraplegic patient. “Paraparesis (lower) NOS” is listed as an alternate term under the G82.2- (Paraplegia) subcategory. You will, however, need to code to the 4th character, meaning you’ll need more information to code the patient’s paraplegia to the utmost accuracy. All paraplegic patients suffer paralysis of their lower limbs. There are, however, distinctions concerning the totality of the paralysis that you need to consider before choosing a diagnosis code. If encounter notes indicate that a patient loses all motor sensory and function below the waist, you’ll report G82.21 (Paraplegia, complete). If encounter notes indicate that a patient loses partial motor sensory and function below the waist, you’ll report G82.22 (Paraplegia, incomplete). Last resort: If you can’t ascertain the completeness of the paraplegia, report G82.20 (Paraplegia, unspecified). Chris Boucher, MS, CPC, Senior Development Editor, AAPC
